The tech world is all about touch right now: tablets, laptops, smartphones. But what if that is already being outshown by a new technology, one that isn’t touch-based, so much as it is interaction-based.
Another gem from Microsoft Research (we wish the Research team was a bit more commercial, if you get us) is a nifty 3D display, that allows a user to interact with things on their screen, while seeing their hands. It leans heavily on Samsung’s transparent OLED screen technology.
Now, this being Microsoft, the contraption also uses a Kinect, and a bit of software. The result is a display that is see-through, interactive, and on the whole impractical and badass. Check the clip:
I was half kidding when I said impractical, before. This could be quite practical, but the technology doesn’t appear to be quite there yet. And even more, modern software in no way supports this sort of user input. Still, both of those thins could be changed.
Interestingly, this is a very ‘off the shelf’ getup, aside from the software. I would love to see some homebrew guys build something similar, and then hack it to run Solitaire. You know, because, well, Microsoft.
Just for fun, you can find all our Microsoft Research coverage here. Top image credit: DreamWorks Pictures, 20th Century Fox.
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